My Passion, Baking!

It's now the holiday season which means it is also baking season! I know I'm not the only one  that is super excited! Baking is my passion whether it be cakes, cupcakes, breads, pies, cookies, etc. I've already made a few things, but I'm just getting started. I have pumpkin pie bread in the oven as I type. This is only the beginning too. Since I'm gluten free now I get to experiment with new recipes and altering recipes I already have. I've already made this pumpkin pie bread with gluten free flour and it's really good. I've also made a pie crust gluten free and it wasn't bad, but it wasn't my favorite. I'll have to keep searching on that. Pinterest has been a life saver with gluten free recipes. When I'm not sure about something I have my incredible friend Amanda Murphy! Can I just tell you how AMAZING this woman is?! She truly is wonderful! She's probably getting tired of all my random texted questions...hee hee. One day I won't need to text her questions anymore and she'll be sad. ;) I love the smell baking brings into my home. I need good smells because living with 4 males makes my house stinky. They think it's funny too! Stinky boys! <3 Loving Life! <3

God Is at the Helm

General Conference is an incredible creation. For those who don't know general conference is when the living prophet and apostles speak to the world about things that our Heavenly Father has inspired them to talk to us about. It is on tv, internet, and radio. Anyone can watch or listen to it. It's also nice for people like me that have little kids and it's really hard to hear or sit long enough because of my 3 little boys being boys that they have videos of all the talks and print outs of all the talks to read afterward.

As I am slowly reading through the talks since I missed most of them while they were airing I have come across a couple in particular that I really enjoy. One is "God Is at the Helm" by Elder M. Russell Ballard who is an apostle of God. In a previous talk Elder Ballard gave he talked about being on the Old Ship Zion which is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- Day Saints. This time he continued on that talk. He quoted a previous president of the church, President Brigham Young, "We are on the old ship Zion...God is at the helm and will stay there...He dictates, guides, and directs. If the people will have implicit confidence in their God, never forsake covenants nor their God, He will guide us right." To me this is an amazing analogy. God is directing our life. We have to trust in Him and follow Him, and He will guide us to exaltation. 

Elder Ballard continues in saying, "Our ship's destination is the full blessings of the gospel, the kingdom of heaven, the celestial glory, and the presence of God! God's plan is in the place. He is at the helm, and His great and powerful ship flows toward salvation and exaltation. Remember that we cannot get there by jumping out of the boat and trying to swim there by ourselves. Exaltation is the goal of the mortal journey, and no one gets there without the means of the gospel of Jesus Christ: His Atonement, the ordinances, and guiding doctrine and principles that are found in the Church. It is the Church wherein we learn the works of God and accept the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ that saves us. It is within the Church that we form the commitments and covenants of eternal families that become our passport to exaltation. It is the Church that is powered by the priesthood to propel us through the unpredictable waters of mortality."

This is the ship that I want to be on. This is where I want to go.  It's not always easy. It's important that we remember that we can't as he said "get there by jumping out of the boat and trying to swim." We cannot get to where we need to go by ourselves. We need help. We need to do the things we are supposed to and follow God to get where we need to be. It may not always be easy, but it will definitely be worth it. 

Mommyhood

Once there were two and now there are three! Almost 4 months ago I gave birth to a sweet baby boy, Rylan Lewis Patton. Having three little boys 4 and under is hard, really hard. There are some days that I'm like this is no big deal, I got this. Then there are most days that I don't know which way my head is screwed on. I love all three of my little men! They definitely keep me busy. I can be home all day and have nothing going on and still nothing at home gets done because of my little men. My patience gets tested daily, multiple times a day. Some days I might be yelling all day because this or that. Some days I want to give up. Some days I question how good of a mom I actually am, but I know that I am doing the best that I know how. With having the gospel in my life, I have Heavenly Father helping me. I know that I couldn't do it without Him. Being a mom is what I'm supposed to do, but not only that it's what I want to do. I've always wanted to be a stay at home mom because I had an amazing mom myself. Being a mom is not easy, nor should it be. Heavenly Father entrusted these three little human beings to me. I am to teach them everything they need to know, make sure they are healthy, gain a testimony, take care of them and love them unconditionally. I do love my boys so much! I wouldn't trade my life for anyone or anything! There are days that are harder than others, but that's part of my job as a mom, teacher, nurse, referee, friend, and so much more. You know it does also help seeing these smiling faces every day!

 I also couldn't do it without my other half, my soulmate, the love of my life, Adam! Adam is so much more than a great husband, he's an incredible daddy!

I sure do have an incredible amazing family!

“There is no role in life more essential and more eternal than that of motherhood.” —M. Russell Ballard